I had gotten myself into a pickle. A man I don't recognize held a knife to my throat. The man was most likely naless to and was simply Maven's bodyguard. "No need to, get touchy! besides I can cast spells without my hands. So I could easily kill your guard before he cuts my throat and heal myself in the process."
I stared at maven or glared at silently. I couldn't kill him and heal , but there was no need to tell complete truths. Maven Black-Briar lowered her hand and the guard took a step back. "I took note of you yesterday, however one can only be on guard when a heavily armored induvial approaches them."
I nodded, and casted a healing spell on myself. The small cut on my throat healed quickly and I responded. "Fair enough, though I can't imagine a woman with ties to the Thieves Guild and Dark Brotherhood would be threatened by such small... details."
I held her gaze on my lingering words. She tapped the table of her office, one I only found out she had about 10 minutes ago. I smiled, "Besides I ca to make so deals."
Maven raised an eyebrow as if that was an impossible notion. "I figured as much, it was hard to not guess telling that you went to the Jarl's court twice since you arrived. I even heard you threatened the stewardess for information."
I shrugged, "Hardly anything so unrefined! I promise!" I smirked, she either was tracking or had made so good guesses. If it was just a good guess, I would need to be on guard. I didn't need her guessing the reason I wanted to buy a certain chunk of land from her.
Maven tilted her head, "So let's hear it, what deal do you think you can make?"
I took a deep breath, "I can make Ingun to take over the family business for you." Her expression shifted slightly, but she made no motion to cut off. So I continued, "No one is immortal and you haven't made any strides for so elixir or ritual of immortality to live longer. So you plan on leaving things to an heir. It can't be your son, as you let him stroke his ego while he wags his tail like a dog. It certainly can't be Sibbi with his... affairs. Which leaves Ingun, she's smart, but she wants her own path."
Maven nodded slightly, "Yes, she was a lot like myself when I was young. However before you continue, give a better explanation of why."
That wasn't a question and I felt pressure from her, a pressure stronger than so of the foes I have faced. I nodded, "Your son Hemming is a lap dog, loyal and obedient. However he lacks the drive and ability to achieve his ambition. This is obvious when he boasts his swordsmanship while carrying a pristine sword. aning he doesn't even train with it."
Maven nodded, "And Sibbi?"
She was trying to create a distance between our conversation. I hadn't realized it at first, but with the ntion of Sibbi. It was obvious, no way in hell she would ever let Sibbi take over the family business. So I responded, "Simple, he has no redeeming qualities that would allow him to take over. He forces won into his bed so he has a high chance for illegitimate children. He tries to sell and steal from the family. Finally he has almost no ambition other than to spend money."
She gestured, "And how would you convince Ingun to take over the family business?"
I smiled, "Well, either you have thought about it or it was so simple that you hadn't. So before we talk about how I would convince her. I think it is more important to talk about the deal as a whole. After all that's not the only offer I have for you. As in the grand sche Ingun would cave to follow the family na eventually or run away forever."
Maven closed her eyes and let out a sigh, "So what is this deal?"
She knew sothing about or she knew sothing else that required addition help. I guessed it instantly, "Soone in the thieves guild approached you for a change in leadership hadn't they?" Her expression gave nothing away, but I knew I hit right on the mark.
"That is sothing i wanted to discuss as a part of this deal. Before that though, I want to talk about so land you family owns. I want to buy it, as simple as that. The many offers I co with are to sweeten the deal and open up the future for better relations."
She shifted her posture, "Where would that land be?"
I pulled out a map and pointed to a circled area. "This area here, I want the mountain range specifically." I pointed to a different circle, "I bought this area as a bargaining chip for another deal. It holds a shrine of Malacath that Orcs travel to preform so worship and rituals at. Before you ask, no the land I want doesn't contain any part of that bargaining chip. However it does hold the rest of the mountain area."
She smiled and nodded, "You wish to tax the Orcs for travel. You have so thod of Blood-kin for them and plan on building so sort of Orc town? I assu a part of your offer include selling Black-Briar ad to the Orcs through you as an interdiator."
I smirked, "Exactly, to truly capture the Orcs though I want the whole mountain range here so I can offer other services to them. Mining rights to the mountain for possible ore veins."
Maven looked at , "Is there ore there?"
I shrugged, and lied through my teeth. "Fuck if I know!"
She frowned at my lanaguge however nodded, "I assu you have a thod to convince them to mine there then?"
I smiled, "How much of that mountain has actually been explored? Orcs tend to believe dying in battle is important. What better battle is there than one fighting ancient monsters of the mountian? Have them visit the shrine of Malacath before traveling into the mountains and exploring to die in battle with the unknown?"
Maven gave a smile, "That's a good sell, I've tried to sell to the Orc tribes before. So I understand so of their code. My question now is, what is the rest of your offer?"
"10k in gold for purchase of the land itself. Convincing Ingun to began the process of taking over the family business. The purchase and sell of Black-Briar products to the Orcs. A discount on all affiliated businesses, that includes the information guild. Finally the future security of the thieves guild, in the form of them either becoming a subsidiary of the information guild or them being wiped out."
She raised an eyebrow when I ntioned the thieves guild. "I have an investnt in the thieves guild. So explain that part of your offer to ."
I nodded, "Fair, it is well known the black-briar family is not to be ssed with thanks to their connections. However the Thieves Guild is a ss, in decline really and it will only get worse in ti. To summarize half the guilds mistakes are caused by two people. They may recover thanks to a new player in the ga."
Literally... I gestured a thinking about how to explain it. "This recover may however lead to a serious decline in business. I work directly with the Khajiit Caravan you see and they work with the thieves guild in turn. The one in Riften is just a branch office and it has severely gone off the rails. Other branches have completely cut them off. I'm sure you can guess at the reason this may beco a bigger ss?"
Maven nodded, "I assu if I ask for information on those individuals you ntioned. You will tell to pay for them."
I nodded, "I consider it low-risk information. I will tell it freely to the right person, but anyone outside that circle does have to pay. Unfortunately you are one of those people, this is not because you aren't precious client. It is because you have your own information network that may find that information."
She nodded, "That is understandable." She nodded to her body guard behind and they placed 50 gold pieces on the table. She spoke simply, "I would like a confirmation. The individual that you referred to as a new player. Have I recent contacted them?"
I nodded, "Very much so, and they owe debts. Whether they know it or not."
Every player owed a debt, including myself. I stood silent as she thought about things. Eventually she spoke, "Do you have a pricelist?"
I pulled out a sheet of paper with several explanations. She read through it, "No-Risk, Low-Risk, dium-Risk, High-Risk and Unknown-Risk? and each has their sub-categories that vary the price? You even include what requirents that allow soone to receive freebies and no-risk and unknown-risk. Why give unknown-risk for free?"
I gave a slight shrug, "Choice, people aren't very likely to react well with such a high unknown-risk. As more information I know changes, the riskier things get. If sothing becos unknown, that ans soone can sell that information. Sell prices are on the other side."
She flipped the paper over and looked over the sell prices. "You pay a conserved fee? What is a conserved fee?"
I gestured slightly, "Any information can get soone paid 5 gold if we don't know it. Though this price only happens once per paynt. When we finally confirm that information or act upon it... We pay them the rest. Along with all this is a contract saying that if the information is wrong we take a special paynt from them."
I had yet to confirm said special paynts work. However I knew who I could test this on, I almost smirked at that, but I shook it off. "So are you willing to accept my overly favorable deal?"
Maven Black-Briar tapped her finger on the desk. Clearly she could tell sothing was wrong, but without any clue on how she sighed. "Alright! Since you are this prepared I assu you have a contract prepared?"
My smile grew, "Of course!" I placed the contract on the table. I had it in a binder with several pages. The contract as a whole was 5 pages long and had several small details. The contract itself was magic in nature and made with the speechcraft top-tier power. "I do suggest reading through it for anything you wish to change. Its magic so I can change it here and now without any problem."
Maven smirked at , "I see now why you say the thieves guild may beco a subsidiary." She paged through the contract and nodded slowly to herself. The contract stated everything I told her. Only the last page was truly different from the rest. It was phrased carefully and deliberate, not with any trickery though. If it was deceptive at all Maven would notice. She did look up at though when reading the last page.
She read it aloud and looked up at . "If Party B breaks the contract in anyway Party A may collect the new debt owed in any form?"
I smiled, "A debt owed can take many forms. Its just to prevent any trickery like stealing the deed to the mountain range back or selling a fake one. If you read below it you can see a similar clause, "Party A breaking the contract applies the sa penalty as Party B."
"I'd say it's all fair, even if you slipped in such clauses like you can sell Black-Briar ad at any price to information guild clients or perhaps the one about punching my grandson Sibbi if he get into your way."
I shrugged, "Well, truth be told I expected you to want those edited out. Its just good business to include such items within a contract that way you can make the other party feel safer with the contract."
Maven nodded, "I figured as much, however after reading page four I see clearly why you made it so favorable to ."
Page four ntioned the details relating Ingun, I included a clause about her marriage. I wouldn't marry the girl. However I needed that clause to guarantee the control I wanted over the contract. Maven could always stall on Ingun's marriage until her death, but that was entirely on Maven to figure out.
She took out a pen and paused before signing, "What is going to happen to the contract?"
I shrugged, "It's magic so it stays with . However if you want a non-magical contract version I can create a copy."
Maven gave a nod, "Very well, make a duplicate. I expect you to convince Ingun within the month."
I could do it within the day thanks to my speechcraft. I needed to let it simr though, "Fair, I have so business outside the city first. When I co back I will convince her, the city needs to simr before I do though. Need to be smart about the approach after all."
Finally Maven signed the contract and the contract returned to my inventory. Maven was surprised by its disappearance however when I produced a non-magical copy within an instant she motioned her body guard to remove from her office.
I didn't mind though I left quickly to cover up my ever growing smiling. I felt if I didn't leave quickly I would look like a scarecrow.
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